Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-02-12
INGERsnLl ON AlooAOl.


When Robert Ingersoll canno t
find verbs, Adjectiyes and nouns to
fully describe anything, no one else
need try. Tho following is. an ex-
tract from legal speech of his:
"Iam aware there is = prejudice
against any man engaged in the
manufactures of alcohol I believe
from the coiled and poisonous worm
in the distiiery until it empties into
hell OF death, dishonor, and crime,
that it is demoralizing 10 everybody
that touches it, from the source To
where ie ends. / do not believe
that any body can contemplate the
subject without being prejudiced
against the crime. All we have to
do is to think of the wrecks on eth.
er side of the stream of death, ofthe
stream of death, of the suicides, OF
the insanity. of the poverty, of the
destruction, of the little children
Juggling at the breast of the weak
and despairing wives, asking for
bread F.; of men Of genius it has
wrecked the men struggling with inn
imaginary serpents produced by this
devilish thing and when you think
of the falls, Of alms-houses, Of asy
lums, of the prisons, of the scaffolds
on either hand, / do not wonder that
every thoughtful man is prejudioed
against this vile stuff called alcohol.
Intemperance cuts down youthin its
vigor, manhood in its strength and
age in its weakness. i
1t breaks the fathers heart and
bereaves the doting mother, extln-
guishes natural affection, grasses CON-
jugal love, blots out filial attach
ments, blights parental hope, and
brings premature age in sorrow to
the grave. It produces weakness,
not strength sickness, not health;
death, not life. Tt makes wives wild
ows, children orphans. fathers fiends
and paupers. 1t feeds rheumatism,
nourishes govt, Welcomes epidemics,
invites cholera, imports pestilence,
and embraces consumption. 1t COW
ers the land with misery, idleness,s
and crime. 1t engenders controver-,
sizes, fosters quarrels, and oherishes
riots. 1t crowds your penitentiaries
and furnishes victims to the scaffold.
1t is the blood of the gambler, the
element of the burglar, the prop of
the highwayman, and the support of
the midnight incendiary. 1t coun-
tenances the liar, respects the thief,
esteems the blasphemer. 1t violates
obligations, reverences fraud honors
infamy. 1t defames benevolence,
hates love, scorns virtue and limo
cence. 1t invites the father to
butcher his helpless offspring, and
the child to grind the patriarchial
axes. 1t burns up men, and con-
sumes women, detests life, curses
God, and despises heaven. 1t SUI
borns witnesses, nurses pertidy, de-
files the jury-box, and stains the jul
dicial ermine. 1t brides voters, dis
qualities voter, scorrupts elections,
pollutes our institutions, and endan-
gers the Government. 1t degrades
the citizen, debases the legislator,
dishonors the statesman, and disarms
the patriot. 1t brings shame, not
honor terror, not safety; despair,
not hope; misery, not happiness and
with the malevolence of a fiend,
calmly surveys its frightful desola-
ton, and nnsatisfed with havoc, it
poisons felocity, kills peace, ruins
morals, wipes out national honor
then curses the world and laughs at
its ruin. 1t does that and more-it
murders the soul. 1t is the sum of
all villianies, the father of all abomi-
nations, the DEVILS best friend, and
Gods worst enemy 1.-THE Balts-
n1oreGn.
.